Coin sorter



Sept. 30, 1924. 1,509,950

J. D. HEDRICK 00 IN SORTER Filed Feb. 13 1924 Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES JESSE D. HEDRIGK, F MARION, INDIANA.

COIN SORTER.

Application filed February 13, 1324. Serial No. 692,489.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn D. Hnnnion, a citizen of the United'States,residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin Sorters, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for sorting coins or the like, ofthat type in which the mixed coins are allowed to flow down a chutewhich'is provided with selective devices for dropping the coinsrespectively, according to different denominations, thru differentopenings and into different receptacles. Associated with this structureisa feeding mechanism for feeding the coins one by one into the upperend of the chute, said feeding mechanism comprising a rotary cup havingopenings thru which the coins are discharged one by one into the top ofthe chute.

r In the present invention, the coins slide down the chute flatwise, andon reaching the baffles or separating devices are lifted and tipped oversidewise into an opening at the side of the chute through which theyfall into a box or receiving device below.

The invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings in which Fig.1 is a sideelevation of the device. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a detailin perspective of a section of the chute. Fig. 1 is a detail in sectionof the feeder. Fig. 5 is a sec-- tion on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates a base on which ismounted a standard 7 which supports the upper end of the chute 8 and thefeeder at the top thereof, the lower end of the chute being supported byleg 9, and the chute extending at rather an acute angle downwardly fromthe upper to the lower end.

The feeder comprises a hopper 10 having an outlet 11 at the bottomthereof to the chute 8. WVithin this hopper is mounted a rotary cup 12,on a shaft 13 which extends thru the bottom wall of the hopper and isprovided with a crank handle 14; whereby it may be turned, the upper endof the shaft being supported by an angular bracket 15 secured to thehopper. By turning the crank, the cup may be rotated in the hopper, andthe lower edge or corner of the cup is provided with a plurality ofslots 16 thru which the coins may or will drop one at a time when theyreach the space or position opposite. the spout 11, thru which theyslide to the chute. The slots 16 are sufficiently large to allow thepassage of the largest coin to be sorted, larger coins if any beingretained in the cup.

The chute may be made of sheet metal, and at one side it has a track orslideway 17 with a flange or wall 18 at one edge there- .of, this flangehaving a series of openings 19 which are progressively smaller in sizetoward the lower end of the chute. The bottom of the slideway 17 isslightly inclined sidewise toward the flange 18 so that the coins havesome tendency to hug the flange 18 as they slide down. of the slideway17 has a series of separating devices or baflles 20 each of whichconsists of a curved piece of metal the upper edge of which, indicatedat 21, has somewhat the form of a spiral, and the upper end of whichedge, as indicated at 22, merges into or rises from the floor of theslideway 17, and thence the edge curves over the slideway and leads atits lower end to one of the openings 19 which communicate with openings23 thru which the coins may drop into drawers or receptacles 24 placedunder the chute to receive thecoins. Also, at the lower end of eachopening 19 is a pointed finger 25 which is offset from the flange 18inwardly and partly across the slideway 17, the finger however beingspaced above the floor of the slideway so that a coin which is notengaged by the bafiie 20 will slide under said finger and also undersaid baflie and thence down the slideway to the next baflie, and soon.

The operation is as follows: Assuming that a mass of coins is placed inthe cup 12, the cup is rotated by the crank, and the coins escape one byone thru the slot 16, being actuated by the inclination of the bottom ofthe cup as well as by the centrifugal force developed. They then slidethru the spout or throat 11 onto the slideway 17. Assuming that thedevice is intended to sort quarters, nickels, pennies, and dimes, thequarters, or the coins of the largest size, are of such diameter thatone edge thereof will ride up the spiral edge. 21 of the baffle 20 andwill there by be tilted to a standing position and being guided by theedge 21 will roll out of the chute sidewise and thru the opening 19adjacent thereto. The finger 25 by engaging in front of or under thecoin will prevent the coin being cooked or upsetting and so The oppositeedge 5 continuing down the slideway. A coin of a smaller size, say anickel, will however not be engaged by the edge 22 of the first baffle,but will continue to slide down the slideway, passing under the finger25 and the baffle 20, until it reaches the next baffle, the entering end22" of which is set closer to wall .18, so that the nickelwill ride upsaid edge and will in a manner similar to that above described be tiltedup and discharged thru the next opening 19. The pennies will pass thetwo upper baffles, and the dimes will finally be delivered from thelower end of the chute into a drawer or receptacle such as 24*. So by aseries of spirally formed bafiies, with each of which is associated afinger, the baffle extendingaeross and the finger projecting above theslideway, the coins are assorted according to their respectivedenominations and are tilted from a flat position to an edgewiseposition and discharged thru openings at the side of the chute intoappropriate receptacles. The pitch of the spiral edges 21 is such thatgravity will nevertheless cause the coins to tilt to the uprightposition described and roll out at the side.

The device can be quite cheaply constructed of sheet metal and Wllleffectively perform the functions described. Obviously the feeder may beomitted and the coins fed into the machine by'hand, one by one, but thefeeder provides means for rapid operation, the coins being placed in amass or handful into the cup as the operation proceeds.

The invention is not limited to the particular form shown but may beembodied in various modifications thereof.

, I claim:

1. In a coin sorter in combination, an inclined chute having a slidewayat one side thereof down which coins slide flatwise and a flangeprovided with openings at the inner edgeof the slideway, and a series ofbafiies adjacent the openings successively, each baffle consisting of acurved member having a spiral upper edge extending over the slideway ata sufiicient height above the same to tilt the coins to edgewiseposition, the. upper end of said edge rising from the floor of theslideway, whereby coins will ride up said edge and be tilted thru theopenings, the said upper ends of the successive bafiles being positionedat decreasing distances from said flange.

2. A coin sorter as set forth in claim 1. and a finger projectil'ig fromsaid flange, at the lower end of the opening therein, above the slidewayand under the respective baffle, said finger being spaced above theslideway.

3. A feeder for a coin sorting machine, comprising a hopper, and arotary cup therein, said cup having openings in the lower cornerthereof, thru which coins may be discharged into the hopper.

4. A feeder as set forth in claim :3. the

axis of said cup being inclined.

5. A feeder as set forth in claim 3, the bottom of the hopper beinginclined and having an outlet spout at the lower corner thereof.

6. A coin sorter comprising a chute having an inclined slideway at oneside thereof down which coins slide fiatwise and a series of openingsbeside the slideway, and a series of baflies about the chute, eachbaflle consisting of a spiral member rising from the outer edge of theslideway and curving sutiiciently high above the slideway to tilt thecoins to edgewise position, and tern'iimiting at the opposite edge ofthe slideway, adjacent one of said openings, the upper ends of thesuccessive spirals being spaced at decreasing distances from the inneredge of the slideway.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signat n. in presence of a witness.

JESSE l). H ICDlIIC-K. lVitness:

E. F. FERREE.

